The Last Moments
by WildVegeta
Summary: One-shot. The last moments of the Saiyan race, from King Vegeta's sacrifice of his own son to Frieza, to the child's first years with the monster, to the demise of the saiyans. Warning: Child abuse, torture, violence.


_There were so many things wrong with Crushing Innocence._

_This is going to be a one-shot, however, because I don't want to write another story of his past... yet. Maybe I'll change that later. _

_This story goes from the moment Vegeta promised Frieza that he'd give his firstborn in order to save the planet, to the moment where Vegeta gets the news of his planet's demise._

_I don't own anything._

**_Warning: Violence. Child abuse. _**

* * *

><p>He had been a complete fool.<p>

King Vegeta had been a complete fool, and he knew it. From the moment Lord Frieza had landed on his planet, claiming to be "interested" in Vegeta-sei's flora, he had felt awkward. The lizard was polite, but behind his pitched voice one could hear the insanity that stained them thoroughly. Now, years later, here he was, kneeling before the lizard that had slowly crushed him below his foot and had mocked his name and everything it stood for. Lord Frieza had become Lord of Vegeta-sei, Lord of the Saiyans.

Lord of the Saiyan King.

Every decision that once before had to be reported to King Vegeta, now had to go through Frieza's ears. Nothing could be done without the lizard knowing it. Each and every planet owned by the Saiyans had become to make part of Frieza's Empire. Warriors were sent at every hour of the day to purge planets for the tyrant. Babies that were too weak were killed without a second thought, sometimes by Frieza himself, when in the past they were just sent to training camps in other planets. Every Saiyan despised the lizard, but they couldn't do anything. Frieza was too powerful, and King Vegeta did everything that was best for his people, even if it meant letting the hideous emperor sit on his throne as all his elites were watching.

"You are pissing me off, King Vegeta." Frieza said, swirling his wine around. "I think I will dispose of the Saiyan planet as soon as Bardock's crew arrives from Planet Siru."

"Please, Lord Frieza!" King Vegeta begged, getting on one knee. "I'm sure there must have been some misunderstanding."

"Do you realize how long it took me to find a planet like Obaru? Not even _you_ could replace what a planet like that one brought forth. Your soldiers destroyed one of my most prized possessions, so now I must destroy your little barrel of monkeys." He said, strangely calm.

"Lord Frieza" the king said, swallowing the insult. "I will punish my men for their insubordination, but – "

"Oh, how adorable!" Frieza said, chuckling. "King Vegeta, the four simians that destroyed Obaru have been disposed of. Zarbon and Dodoria made sure of that."

King Vegeta growled softly as nasty grins spread across both henchmen's faces. How dare he? That was his job as king! He was the executioner! Not a damn lizard!

"Lord Frieza, I will force my men to work three times harder if that – "

"Your men, _king, _are already working four times harder than before. Not even that way have they replaced all the things I lost from the destruction of my precious planet." Frieza waved his hand dismissively. "If there is nothing important for you to say, then I might as well return to my ship."

"Wait, Lord Frieza!" the King yelled, now desperate. "I will give you anything. Warriors, women, children. Anything."

Frieza smiled and rested his head on his hand. He clicked his tongue and sighed dramatically.

"There is something you can give me to ensure the life of your little orb of dirt, Vegeta."

"Whatever it is, I will make sure to get it for you, my lord."

"I want your first offspring to work for me."

"Excuse me?" he said, not believing what he had just heard.

"You heard me. Your firstborn must work for me once he is old enough. Then your planet will be safe. Do we have a deal, King Vegeta?"

Only that? Frieza was only asking for a mere child? King Vegeta didn't have any children at the moment, but when he had one he was sure that he wouldn't have any problem in giving him to the tyrant. He could have another kid to be the prince of Saiyans. What a fool the lizard was.

"Of course, Lord Frieza. My firstborn will be yours."

"Very well, then. Zarbon, Dodoria, we must depart. I will come back in four years, my king. I want everything to be perfect for when I return. Do not attempt to stop communicating your decisions with me. Don't disappoint me. Farwell."

* * *

><p>Two years later,<p>

King Vegeta paced back and forth in the hall of the castle that led to the medical bay. Inside, the Queen of Vegeta-sei, whom he had married a year prior, was giving birth to his first son. It had been a complicated pregnancy, but here they were, waiting for the soon-to-be prince of the mightiest planet that had ever existed. He whipped around when he heard steady footsteps coming his way. Malaka was grinning, as much as one could grin with a beak for a mouth, and taking off his gloves.

"King Vegeta, sir. Your son has been born. Your wife is safe. Come on in and see the prince."

King Vegeta walked hastily up to the Medical bay and took sight of his wife lying there, with a small, blue bundle between her arms. The king swallowed and approached them, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he watched the prince sleep on his mother's chest. The queen smiled widely and motioned for the king to carry him. King Vegeta's scowl disappeared as he held his arms out and carried the small bud within his arms. He felt nervous. He was so frail and light. The king's arms were used to carry heavy things around. He sat on a chair near the bed and he chuckled as he watched the small prince open his eyes.

The kid looked just like him. The only thing he had inherited from his mother was the black hair and eyes, but he had acquired even the scowl. He looked confused as he stared up at the bearded man and he held his tiny hand out, touching his face as if to confirm that he was real. He gasped a little when the king smiled and he looked back at his mother, not knowing what to do. The queen laughed weakly and gave him an encouraging nod. The little Saiyan grabbed his father's thumb and smiled. The King felt his heart filling with pride and joy as the young baby began to look around the room with a big smile on his face. His little tail waved excitedly. Suddenly, he held his palms out and they began to glow with ki.

"Whoa!" the king yelled, holding the kid far from his face. "What the hell?"

"How is that even possible?" the queen asked. "He was born not even an hour ago!"

"Don't Saiyans usually create their first ki ball at their second year?"

"And that's saying a lot." The queen said. The doctors were also gawking at the scene. How was a newborn baby creating ki?

"Sir," Malaka spoke, "if you permit us, we can run the test on the boy to confirm his powerlevel."

The king nodded and handed the baby to the doctor, who took him hastily away into the machines that could bring forth their true potential. The king began to get nervous again because if he was too weak, he would have to get killed. Of course, if he was too weak, he wouldn't have been creating ki blasts. Half an hour passed before a breathless doctor came running in. The king raised his eyebrows at him.

"Well? What was it? A hundred? Nine hundred?" Of course, he was exaggerating. No baby could have nine hundred as a powerlevel. The highest ever registered had been seven hundred in a toddler.

"Two thousand, sir."

* * *

><p>Two years later,<p>

"Lord Frieza arrived today." King Vegeta told his wife as she removed her armor.

"What did he say?"

The king looked at the cradle in the corner of the room, where the baby lay sleeping.

"Remember what I told you about out firstborn?"

The Queen froze for a second. "Your agreement?"

"Yes." He said. "Today he reminded me of it. He says he will give us three years to give him the proper training for him to survive inside his ship. He said it will be the best for the prince."

The Queen slowly took her necklace off as she sat on the bed. "I can't do that to my son, Vegeta. I can't take him to the ship. He will be only five. He can't be away from his mother." Her voice filled with sorrow as her black eyes watered. The king sighed deeply. "You were so reckless when you agreed with him!"

"My Queen, at that moment I didn't even have a wife." He said. "But we can't fail Lord Frieza."

"Lord Frieza can go to hell and get raped for all I care." She hissed darkly.

"I will promise you something. I will get him back. I will get him back as soon as I can and we will defeat Frieza and show him the might of the Saiyans. Okay?"

She nodded as tears threatened to fall down her cheeks.

The next day, the king stood in front of his son as he showed him the kata he had been training so hard to perform. He didn't let the pride show in case the boy built himself up too much and ended up ruining it. But it was hard. The boy was doing it perfectly. When he finished, the king knelt down and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders, smiling slightly at his sweaty face and tired expression.

"Son, I am very proud of you."

"Really?"

"Yes. You will soon be a great Saiyan prince." He patted his left shoulder as the boy smiled widely with hubris. "You will be the Legendary Super Saiyan that will free us of Frieza. Never forget what you are. You are the prince of all Saiyans, and the best one at that. Do you understand?"

The boy nodded eagerly.

* * *

><p>Three years later,<p>

King Vegeta was sitting in his throne, when one of his warriors came rushing inside. He knelt down before him and placed a hand on his heart. King Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"What is it so important that you had to burst into my door that way? I have more important matters to think about!" Matters like Frieza's arrival, for example. He had landed on the planet a few hours ago and any time soon he would be entering the Throne Room by one of the side doors, where only the king should be permitted to come through. Not like any of that mattered now. He looked exasperatedly down at the soldier and growled. "Well? Speak, you fool!"

"Sir, Planet Tazma hasn't been occupied yet."

"What? The Planet Tazma hasn't been occupied yet?"

"Yes, sire. The resistance there is much stronger that we ever expected. For now, we'd need three more days."

"Three days?" The king exclaimed, alarmed.

"Yes, sire." The soldier mumbled.

"Have you forgotten that we promised to deliver that planet to Lord Frieza by tomorrow?"

"No! Of course not, sire! No!" The soldier exclaimed, raising his hands up, scared at the tone his king was using. "But… the full moon there is three days away." He said clenching his eyes shut as he prayed silently for the mercy of his superior. The king rolled his eyes. Useless piece of shit.

"Get lost."

"Sire!"

"What's wrong? You heard me!"

Fed up with the stupid soldier before him, the kind raised his hand and fired a simple blast at the nameless warrior, who screamed out as it hit him. The other soldiers standing at the sides remained impassive to it all. They all knew that since Frieza had plagued the lives of the Saiyans, the king had become ruthless and heartless. His mood had lightened up when his son had been born, but now that Frieza had returned… Well… Things had changed a lot.

A quiet chuckle came from the side of the room. The king frowned deeper as he looked at the side and saw the lizard walking up to him, emerging from the darkness, with his hands clasped behind his back.

"You're such a brute, Vegeta. Those three days didn't matter to me." He looked at the side as a soldier was picking up the corpse. "Oh well. Too late! You don't mind if I sit down, do you?" King Vegeta instantly moved to the side, leaving enough space for the little tyrant to sit. He hopped up on the throne, mocking everything it meant, and smiled. "Ah, yes. That's better. Very comfortable. Now, are we still in agreement about your son?"

The King felt a cold stab in his chest and he swallowed.

"Yes, we are. You can… have him."

Frieza smirked cruelly as he gave him a sideways glance. He didn't miss the angry glare from the King.

"Splendid! You can bring him when you come to inform me about the progress on Tazma."

The king's eyes narrowed with pure anger and the lizard felt his chest swelling with joy. He loved to toy with the Saiyan king. He gave slight sound of mockery as he looked away from the enraged king. Then, he gave the finishing blow. "You should try to be a little more lenient on your subjects!" he said, laughing. Laughing because he knew that the king had become so ruthless because of him. It was all his fault, and he loved it. He slowly walked away.

The king looked down at the floor, anger and grief emanating off of him. Vegeta was his son… He, and the gods punish him for such weakness, loved him. He had rearranged everything just for him. When he wasn't around, he had ordered the commander of the Saiyan army, Nappa, to train him. He spent most, if not all, of his free time with him, and if he or the queen couldn't, he'd send Zorn to take care of him, no matter how important was the task that Zorn was doing at the moment. The kid filled him with pride and joy and he was the perfect prince for the empire. He didn't want to lose him. He swallowed as his fists clenched and unclenched involuntarily. He wanted to keep his son… He was everything he cared for in the world!

"Please, sire!" Zorn said suddenly behind him. "We can't hand over the prince to him! I'd rather die than do that!"

"Me too! But for now, we'll do as he says." His fists clenched even more, almost ripping through the thick material of his gloves.

"Please, sire…"

"I don't have a choice, Zorn!" he snapped. "We have to strike when the time is right! If we act too hastily, there'll be nothing left worth defending!"

"Yes, my king."

"Don't worry, we'll have our day."

He turned around, his cape swirling behind him, as he walked away.

Once he got to his room, he flopped on the bed and buried his face in his hands. He didn't want to hand over the prince…

"Father? Is something wrong?" the kid asked as he entered the room. He sat beside his father as the king looked tiredly up at him. He placed a hand on the kid's head and sighed through his nose. There was no choice… He'd have to give the kid up. But he would have him back! He knew it! Frieza would see what the Saiyans were made of. When the king didn't answer, the kid decided to speak again. "I heard Frieza landed on the planet hours ago. Were you in a meeting with him?"

"Yes." He admitted. "There's something we need to talk about, Vegeta."

"What?"

"You know that the first duty of a prince must be to serve his people at all costs, right?"

"Right."

"Lord Frieza requested something from you, boy."

"From me?" he said, his eyebrows rising in surprise. He had never seen the lizard. Why would he demand anything from him? Besides, every Saiyan he was around engrained a deep sense of hatred for the lizard within him. He hated that man with all his soul even if he had only seen him in screens. "What?"

"He said that you must train with him… as his soldier."

"WHAT? But I don't want to train with him! I want to train with you, and Nappa and Zorn!"

"Lord Frieza can provide a much better training than us, Vegeta." The king stated. "It is the best for the planet. You want the best for your people, don't you? That's want makes a prince what he is."

Tears threatened to fall down his cheeks but he held them back. "But why? How could that possibly beneficiate Frieza?"

"Because you are strong. You must show him what Saiyans are made of! Okay?" he tried to cheer the prince up. "If you train with him, you'll get to know him better and know every weakness of his. Then you'll be able to defeat him. And I promise I'll go for you, my son. I swear."

The prince sniffed a little and nodded, looking up at his father with a scowl on his face. "I will kill that lizard, father. I'll show them what Saiyans are made of."

The king smiled with pride.

Four days later, in the evening, Vegeta and his father waited outside the tyrant's ship. The prince was wearing his black spandex pants, his royal armor that bore the crest of Vegeta-sei, the red cape that characterized the highest ranks on the planet, and his white gloves and boots. He didn't want to be with Frieza, but he didn't want to disappoint his father either. The king patted his son on the head, and the kid looked up at his father. The ramp of the ship began to open and three figures cut into the light that came out from within. The king could distinguish Zarbon, Dodoria, and Frieza himself slowly making their way towards them. The older Saiyan kneeled down before the toddler and looked at him in the eyes. His chest hurt when he looked into the eyes of his son, knowing this was probably the last time he'd see them.

"Vegeta, listen to me well. You are the prince of all Saiyans. You must be proud no matter what happens."

The kid nodded once. "Yes, father."

The king sighed and put a hand on his son's cheek. "You make me very proud, my son."

The little prince felt his chest fill with pride as he lifted his chin and the three figures approached. He felt revulsion at the sight of the disgusting lizard and the pink blob that accompanied him. They all smiled at the little prince. He scowled at them.

"Well, hello, prince Vegeta." He waited for an answer, but none came. "Kitty ate your tongue? Well, no matter. We'll find a way to get some words out of you. Are you ready to go? We'll have time for proper acquaintances lately."

The prince swallowed nervously as he looked up at his father. "Take care of mom." He said quietly. The Queen had given him similar words, but she had cried and hugged him and kissed him, and told him she loved him. The prince had cried a little as well, and had asked her not to accompany him because he didn't want to cry in front of Frieza or his father. That wouldn't look good on a Saiyan Prince.

"Of course." The king answered.

And the little prince followed Zarbon and Dodoria into the ship.

"We'll be talking, King Vegeta. You will be allowed to check on your son in exactly a year. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes, Lord Frieza."

.

The small prince was led to a tiny, dark room. It held one small bed with one thin, gray blanket and a rotten bundle that must've been a pillow decades ago. There were no windows and only a white, artificial light illuminated the dark room. There was a small closet to the side, where a number of spandex suits, two armors, and three pairs of white boots stood. The prince raised his eyebrows.

"You've got to be kidding me. I'm not going to sleep here."

"You can tell that to Lord Frieza." Dodoria said, shrugging. "You have an audience with him right now."

Vegeta frowned and followed them up to the Throne Room. He burst inside and crossed his arms smugly.

"Frieza! I demand a real room! That piece of crap will not serve my title!"

Zarbon snarled. "What a bold little creature! We've got to teach you a little lesson, eh?"

Vegeta glared at him and uncrossed his arms. "Like _you _could teach me anything, you stupid fool." He said. He smirked with arrogance as Zarbon's eyebrow twitched his frustration. He clenched his fists but stopped when Frieza cleared his throat.

"Calm down, Zarbon. The kid just arrived here. Remember monkeys don't know too much about manners. He just can't control his rebellious spirit. Isn't that right, boy?" he spoke calmly. Vegeta's eyes narrowed, reminding Frieza of the King. "You look a lot like your father, prince Vegeta. You monkeys all look the same."

Vegeta growled. "Shut up!"

Frieza merely chuckled as he climbed down from his hover chair. The prince was smaller than him. He was so _adorable. _His face was so cute that he wanted to punch it until it was a complete mess of blood, broken bones and tears. He put a hand on the prince's head and smiled as the boy moved away from him, dropping into a defensive stance. The tyrant slowly approached him once more and the prince growled. He didn't like the lizard. He wanted to be far away from him. He wanted to go back home and hug his mother. He wanted to be far from that cold ship, away from that filthy room and the three men that stood before him. He knew the three of them were strong, stronger than him perhaps. He swallowed.

"My prince" he said with mocked respect "since you are new at this, I will be lenient and let your insubordination slid off easily. See how much I value the toys I acquire?" Vegeta's eyes shined with hatred and defiance. It was so intense… the lizard had never seen it anywhere. It only fueled his excitement and his eagerness to turn that expression of rebelliousness into a mask of subordination and fear. "You see, I command this ship. Everything that puts a foot on it becomes my property. Because of this, you must now refer to me as 'Master Frieza'. You must always kneel down when you enter the Throne Room and bow before leaving. Insubordination will be punished. Understood?"

"You're kidding. I'd never submit to a stupid freak like you!"

"I see. Your father has taught you pride and arrogance. But I'm afraid I must teach you otherwise." He said, a smile climbing to his lips. It suddenly turned upside down. Before Vegeta knew what was happening, there was a clammy tail wrapped tightly around his neck, cutting off his circulation. "Listen up, monkey. _I _make the rules here. I am the one who decides what goes and what stays. And you don't want to be a goner, surely." He said. He released the boy and he slumped to the floor. As he slowly got on his elbows, the lizard pressed his foot against the small of his back and frowned as the boy slumped against the ground with a small groan. "You will do as you are told because you belong to my army now. I am your master now. You follow me now." The child screamed as he felt the excruciating pressure on his back. He stopped screaming for a while to catch his breath, when a sickening crack filled the room. The small prince screamed louder and began to trash, but noticed with horror that his legs wouldn't answer. "I am Lord Frieza, lad. And you are not a pampered little prince anymore. You are a soldier. Understood?"

Vegeta clenched his fists. "I answer to no one." He mumbled. Frieza growled in rage and hit with his foot the broken bone in Vegeta's spine. The prince shrieked and tried to crawl away, but Frieza laughed as he kicked him in that same spot over and over, enjoying his desperate shrieks, and then in the side, making him roll onto his back. He stepped on the prince's slender throat and began to choke him, digging his nails into his skin.

"Vegeta. If you don't do as I say, I _will _torture and kill your dear father. That wouldn't be good, now would it?" The Saiyan prince's eyes widened. How dare he? He couldn't let anything bad happen to his father! "Say, 'I understand, my lord.'"

The prince gasped desperately and clawed at the clammy foot, but Frieza's tail slapped him, cutting his cheek open. The prince's face was flushed and covered in sweat, his bangs clinging to his forehead and his eyes squeezed shut with the pain on his spine and throat.

"I… under…" he choked on a goblet of blood and spit it, getting alarmed. He had never coughed blood. The only times he bled was when the Saibamen scratched him, or when his trainers punched him in the nose a little too hard. But never like this. "Under…stand… m…" he gasped as the pressure intensified and his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he convulsed for five seconds, before giving way to unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>The year passed slowly.<p>

The king sighed through his nose as the ship landed right outside the castle. He walked outside, excited to see his son after a long, lonely year. He missed the boy. He watched as the door opened and Zarbon stood there. He smirked at the King and motioned with his head for the king to follow him inside. He did as told, ordering his guards to remain alert but in their places. Without a word, the king followed the green freak through long hallways until they reached the small room of the prince.

"Lord Frieza already gave the order to let you see the little monkey prince. But you must not last longer than an hour. Understood?" the accented voice said. The king nodded once and the doors opened.

In the complete darkness, the king could see a small figure jumping and turning around hastily. The light from the hallways only brightened his eyes for a while and the king was surprised to see… fear. He walked inside and the door closed behind him.

"Son?"

There was no answer. The king straightened up and narrowed his eyes to find the light switch. He found it soon enough and a dim, white light spread through the room. He immediately spotted the child in the far corner of the room. He had an expression of deep anger mixed with heavy apprehension. However, it changed into surprise as he looked at his father.

"Father?"

The king was at a loss for words. The child looked terrible! His right eye and left cheek were swollen. There was dry blood covering his lower lip and his chin, and he was pale. He still had defined musculature, but he looked very thin. His tail wasn't bright, but was beginning to gain a shade of gray, a sign of severe malnutrition. He sat at the edge of the bed and swallowed.

"My son, what happened to you?"

The kid looked down at his hands. "Please tell me that you came to take me away." When the king didn't answer, the kid sighed. "It is terrible here, father. They beat me daily. Sometimes several times a day. Frieza always finds a reason to punish me." He hugged his legs. "I can only eat if I have his permission, but he almost never lets me. I haven't eaten in nine days now." He said, sadly. His father gasped slightly. "I can't train on my own anymore, because if other fighters find me they will attack me. Sometimes they come at nights and take me to the training rooms to beat me and let off their steam. But I can't stop them, father!"

His father's brow furrowed. "I didn't know they'd do this to you, Vegeta…"

"They say…" he looked up at his father. "They say that you left me here because you don't like me anymore."

"Don't ever believe them, Vegeta." His father said. "Always remember that I am proud of you."

"But, look!" he said. He took off his armor and threw it aside. His father's eyes widened. Welts, bruises and lacerations covered his body, along his long, thick, pink lines that showed the long-term abuse he had suffered under Frieza. "They say that you took me here to get punished. But I don't understand why. They say it's because I'm weak."

His father winced as he saw his ribs showing off under his pale skin. "You're not weak, Vegeta. You're a prince. The prince of the mightiest race in the world. I will always be very proud of you Veg – " he was cut off when he grabbed his son's hand and saw that his little fingers were broken and twisted. "I will take you out of this place. I swear. I swear that soon you'll be out of here."

Vegeta smiled slightly, but then looked away. "I don't know if I want to leave. He'll punish me… us."

"Us?"

"He always says that he'll kill you if I don't do what he wants."

King Vegeta frowned and was about to answer when the door slid open. It was Cui. He crossed his arms as he smirked.

"Well, well, well. Look at this. Monkey reunion. How cute."

"Get the hell out of here, Cui!" little Vegeta shouted, glaring at the fishman. Cui laughed as the King growled.

"I'm sorry to interrupt such a merry moment, but Lord Frieza wishes to speak to the king, and you have a training session scheduled with Ginyu right now."

"I know that, you fool! Get out! Nobody needs you!" he growled. Cui chuckled and shook his head.

"We'll see what you'll be shouting tonight, kid." He looked at the enraged King. "Has he told you already that not one day has passed in which he doesn't cry and beg for mercy? Some prince he is, not even his father wants to have him around."

The king stood up and aimed a blast at the soldier, but his son's small hand stopped him.

"Leave him be, dad." He said darkly. "Or it'll be my ass."

The soldier laughed harder as he walked away and the king gawked at his son's behavior. The small prince sighed through his nose and stood up, putting his armor on once again.

"Who was that?" the king asked.

"Cui. He's a jerk."

"Son" he said "I'm very proud of you. Don't believe anything they say. You are a great prince, they are just bastards. I will come soon."

The prince nodded once. "Thank you, father."

* * *

><p>"You called for me, King Vegeta?"<p>

"Yes, Nappa. I have a very important task for you." He said.

"What would it be, my king?"

"We need time to arrange a surprise attack. I trust Zorn to take care of that." He turned around to face the commander of the Saiyan army. "You… You will go to Frieza's ship to watch over my son." Nappas eyebrows rose. "He's receiving a terrible treatment. You have to protect him and be with him, since Frieza won't let me…" his voice trembled a little with grief. He rubbed his temples and turned around again. "You must take your most experienced soldier with you. You depart tonight."

"Yes, sire."

Hours later, that night, Nappa reported to the Throne Room again, accompanied by Radditz.

"My King." He said, as they both kneeled down.

"Nappa. Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes."

"Who is that with you? Report, soldier."

"I am soldier Radditz, son of Bardock and…"

"Bardock? That third class who always takes up on the elite's missions?"

"Yes, sir. I trust soldier Radditz to be the bravest, strongest, most experienced soldier in my ranks, even if he is just a third-class."

"Well, I trust my son in your care, then. Leave now. I've already spoken to Lord Frieza."

* * *

><p>Vegeta squinted slightly as the door opened, letting light stream inside. He had been sitting there for hours, bored to the bone and killing rats to entertain himself. Zarbon walked inside and spared a small glance at the boy.<p>

"You have a visit." He said. The boy's heart slowed down as he realized that Zarbon hadn't come to beat him again. His eyes widened as he saw a familiar face coming inside.

"Nappa?"

"Prince Vegeta." He said, kneeling down. Zarbon snorted and walked away. The long-haired Saiyan kneeled down as well. "It's so good to see you."

"Who is that with you?"

"Soldier Radditz. We've come here to protect you."

The Saiyan child frowned. "Nobody can protect me. You've come in vain." He sighed as he added. "But I could use some help in some of my missions. I think there's a couple of mattresses and blankets folded inside the closet."

Radditz noticed silently how the boy had no shirt or armor. Small bruises and awful scars decorated his thin form. He didn't say anything as he looked down and noticed the royal armor covered in blood and lying on the floor. Nappa pulled out both mattresses and blankets as and placed them near the small bed. Vegeta watched their every move silently.

"I will sleep now. If any of you does anything to wake me up for no particular reason, I'll rip both your tails off and make you swallow them." He said. The older saiyans' eyes widened as the seemingly angry prince lay on his bed, giving his back to them and trying to sleep. "Turn the damn light off, fools!"

* * *

><p>"You have a mission right now. You must depart immediately. Purge the planet of all life. Understood? Docking Bay 84." Zarbon announced.<p>

The prince stood up, cracked his joints and stretched his muscles. Six months had passed since Nappa and Radditz had arrived to the ship. They were trying to become used to Vegeta's miserable life and frightening attitude.

"Come on, fools! We haven't got all day!" he said, walking outside as he slid the armor over his head. The two saiyans followed him without a word.

None of them knew that at that precise moment, the king and his soldiers were dying at the hands of Frieza. No, they didn't know that the lizard had sent them away so that he could destroy the planet without them knowing it had been by his hand.

* * *

><p>Vegeta sat, eating the corpses he had just killed. Long ago he would be repulsed by the idea, but now he didn't care. Lots of bodies surrounded his little form but he didn't care. Suddenly, his scouter beeped.<p>

"_Prince Vegeta! Do you copy, sir?"_

"I'm here." He grumbled as he munched on a finger-like thing.

"_Sir, unfortunate news from Lord Frieza. Planet Vegeta was struck by a large asteroid today… a-and destroyed."_

Vegeta felt his stomach flopping and a cold grief clawed at his heart. His little mouth hung open for a second before he recovered his composure. He couldn't let it show. He couldn't let them know that they had destroyed everything he ever stood for, everything he ever cared for and everything he would die for a million times. They had taken away the only reason he was still being submissive under Frieza. The only reason why he had gone there in the first place... He frowned and narrowed his eyes further. He would not be mocked. He swallowed the piece of meat in his mouth. So his father was dead, his mother was dead. Zorn was dead, his maids and servants, his soldiers... They were all gone. He was the only one left besides the two idiots that accompanied him. Well, no matter. He could fend for himself. He quickly blinked the tears away before they could even have the chance to form completely and spoke again:

"You're sure?"

"_Affirmative, sir. Frieza sends his sympathies and regrets. As of now, you're the only known survivor."_

"Oh." They were surely not counting Nappa and Radditz. They were useless after all. "Really?"

"_Would you like to send a reply, sir?"_

The prince could sense the pity in the man's voice. He frowned. He knew it was going to happen. His father wouldn't come for him, there was no planet to go to. All he had left were his two idiot minions and Frieza's base.

"No. No reply."

"_Very well, sir."_

He was now a slave and he was now on his own. He would always be treated badly, beaten, tortured, starved and deprived of the most basic necessities a child could ask for. But he didn't care, because one day he would be the one to avenge his people.

"Nappa, Radditz?"

_"Prince Vegeta, sir?" _both spoke through his scouter.

"You heard the news?"

_"What news, my prince?"_

"Vegeta-sei got destroyed by a meteor today." The two idiots didn't answer. Vegeta cut off the transmission and hovered back to his pod.

* * *

><p><em>Well? How was that?<em>

_Reviews are much appreciated!_


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